Police arrest roadside vendor for sexually abusing Chennai University student

A roadside biryani vendor was arrested on Dec 25 for allegedly sexually abusing a student of Chennai’s Anna University on the institute’s campus on Dec 23 night.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have led the Opposition’s attack on Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with some leaders claiming that the accused had links to Chief Minister M K Stalin’s party.

The DMK has denied any association with the accused Gnanasekaran.

According to police, the assault occurred around 8 pm Dec 23, when the student was chatting with a friend at a secluded area of the 180-acre campus.

“Gnanasekaran approached the students and threatened them by saying he had taken their video. He then demanded that the male friend leave. The victim was assaulted thereafter. We have recovered his cellphone with evidence of the crime that he had recorded. We are now examining the device to find if there were more such crimes he committed and deleted evidence,” an officer was quoted as saying.

After the incident, the student approached the police on Dec 24 morning and filed a complaint with the university’s Internal Complaints Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment.

A case was registered under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Kotturpuram all-women police formed four teams to apprehend the accused.

The police reviewed CCTV footage extensively and identified Gnanasekaran (37) as the suspect.

He was known to have been involved in at least 13 petty crimes in the past, including minor theft and robbery, according to police.

“He also threatened the survivor by taking her phone number, saying she must meet him whenever he called her,” an officer was quoted as saying.

The assault has sparked widespread criticism of security measures at Anna University, located near the high-security Raj Bhavan and IIT Madras.

The campus has over 400 CCTV cameras, and advanced face-recognition attendance systems for staff, but no stringent measures to restrict outsiders’ entry, officials were quoted as saying.

The university is also without a vice-chancellor since August as the position is lying vacant.

University Registrar J Prakash was quoted as saying security personnel were always on duty on the university campus.

“Surveillance cameras are also installed. Despite all that, this unfortunate incident has taken place. Additional security measures will be taken at the university level to ensure that such incidents do not repeat,” he said.

Targeting the DMK government over their alleged inability to maintain law and order, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said it was a shame that such a crime took place within the campus of a university in the heart of Chennai.

“Chief Minister M K Stalin has pushed law and order in the state backward. Whenever I pointed out the lapses in the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, the state government was only keen on opposing my statements. Had it acted promptly, we could have avoided such incidents,” he wrote on X.

BJP state president K Annamalai was quoted as saying, “Tamil Nadu, under the DMK government, has become a breeding ground for unlawful activities and a haven for criminals. Women don’t feel safe in the state anymore, as the police are kept busy by the ruling administration to silence the Opposition.”

“The BJP Tamil Nadu demands that the Chief Minister take responsibility at least now, and address the people on the status of this sexual assault case in Anna University and do justice to the portfolio he holds,” Annamalai said.

Annamalai also alleged that the suspect had DMK links, and posted his pictures with senior DMK leaders. A senior officer probing the case said the accused had been close to a local DMK leader, but is not part of the party structure.

Meanwhile, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss also condemned the incident, citing it as an example of a deteriorating law and order situation. “Every time such an incident occurs, the ruling government attempts to divert the public’s attention without improving the law and order situation. The people of Tamil Nadu are watching, and they will punish the DMK government at the right time,” he said in a statement.

Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathi was quoted as saying that the accused, Gnanasekaran, is “not even an ordinary party member”. He said the arrest of the accused in a matter of five hours showed the police’s swift action, and that the government had no necessity to hide anything.

Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan in a statement defended the government’s efforts. “Steps will be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Those who are trying to politicize the issue should not forget the Pollachi sexual assault cases (that took place under the AIADMK regime),” he said.